Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea

As you can imagine, because sleep apnea disrupts your sleep, a major symptom is exhaustion during the day. If you feel sleep apnea is affecting you, ask your bed partner to watch for the common signs, or record yourself while sleeping. Common signs include choking or gasping in your sleep, snoring, or waking up repeatedly during the night.

Look for:

  • Morning headaches
  • Memory or learning problems
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Irritability or mood swings
  • Waking up frequently to use the restroom
  • Dry mouth or sore throat in the morning

 
Sleep apnea can be common in kids even if it’s not easy to recognize. They generally will be loud snorers, sleep in odd positions, have bad dreams, and have accidents at night.
 

Treatment Options:

While this can be a scary diagnosis, there are a variety of treatment options.
 

Treatment you can do at home:
  • Losing weight
  • Quitting smoking
  • Avoiding sedatives or alcohol before bedtime
  • Maintaining a sleep schedule
  • Sleeping on your side
  • Opening your nasal passages (nasal dilator, breathing strips, or a neti pot)

 
When self-help treatments don’t seem to do the trick, see your doctor. They will be able to do a thorough evaluation of your symptoms to help you find an effective treatment.
 

Medical treatment:
  • Using supplemental oxygen during sleep
  • Breathing devices designed to manage sleep apnea
  • Treating the underlying physiological cause of the sleep apnea
  • Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure (CPAP): the most common treatment, which comes in the form of a mask-like machine that keeps your airway open when you sleep
  • Provent: more expensive, newer form of treatment that is quieter, smaller, and goes over your nostrils for greater comfort
  • Inspire Therapy: an innovative new Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment that includes an implanted system, and a patient remote

 
There are also dental devices and surgeries to help with sleep apnea. We suggest you speak with your doctor about your symptoms in order to find the treatment that’s best for you.